Ranger Drabbles
by TayliaNinja
Summary: My collection of Ranger's Apprentice one-shot drabbles.
1. Found

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Appprentice. That belongs fully to the amazing Mr. Flanagan. I only own the eight copies of books on my nightstand.**

_This takes place during book four after the reuniting of Halt and Horace and Will and Evanlyn. _

-x-

"Halt." Will whispered in to the older man's chest and smiled.

Halt put his arms around his apprentice and moved toward where Evanlyn and Horace stood embracing. His eyes were starting to water with tears and he did not want his apprentice to see him out of his grim cover up so he blinked several times and looked away from his apprentice. He remembered that time in Gallica that he had broken down in to tears in that dinner place. He thought Horace had not seen him but he could remember Horace giving him some sad looks whenever Will was mentioned after that and that had caused him to think twice about letting his feelings get out of hand in front of his two apprentice friends.

Then his watery eyes found the young woman and he looked at her approvingly. He'd never met her before, but he knew that this was the Princess and she was a figure to be respected.

Evanlyn looked over at the short man and smiled. She knew just by looking at him and he already did show some of his amazing skill for her to know that this ways Halt. This was Will's famous mentor that she had heard so much about.

"You must be Halt," She smiled.

Halt kept his arm around his thought to be adoptive son's shoulders as he moved to shake her hand. "And you must be Cassandra,"

Evanlyn flashed him a warning look and made a show of looking around the woods to make sure no one heard him. "Please, Halt, call me Evanlyn."

Halt nodded and looked at Horace. Horace had moved from Evanlyn and was trying to embrace Will but he was having some trouble because Halt still had his arm around him.

"Um, Halt?" Horace said.

"Sorry," Halt removed his arm and watched as Horace and Will gave each other that type of warm hug that came between two young males.

He gave a small sigh then surveyed the area for the best direction to move in. He was already planning in his head when Will and Horace started prodding him on where to go.

"So…Where do we go Halt?" Will's excited voice came to his ears. Halt took a few seconds to register that his apprentice's voice had deepened much since he had last heard him speak. Halt smiled to himself. He sure had a lot to be hearing about in this short time, he told himself.

"We travel south," He told his companions.

They all nodded and moved toward their horses but Halt stopped them before they could jump on them.

"Wait. We're going to need to conserve our horses' energy."

Horace and Will moved their hands and grabbed the reins, getting ready to lead them to wherever he wanted them to go.

-x-

_So, that's it! I know it's short and I'm sorry about that. But don't worry. More is coming soon! Tell me if there's any scene you want me to make for you. Thanks! –Alison_


	2. Together

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Ranger's Apprentice and nor will I ever. **

_This story takes place a little after book 6 when Will is rushing off to tell Alyss he's in love with her. He has already received her letter of love and he is coming to reply to her letter in person._

-x-

"Alyss?" Will whispered in to the door.

He took a deep breath just as the young woman opened the door. Her long pale blonde hair blocked most of her face from his view as he looked at her from the doorway of her office. Her gray eyes lightened with surprise at his appearance and she gave him a bright yet nervous smile.

_Oh no_, she thought to herself, fearing the worst. _He's going to tell me he just wants to be friends! That's why he's come in person. He's read my letter and he doesn't feel the same. _Alyss bit her lip as she tried to smile at her friend and childhood crush.

Will gave her one of those smiles that made her heard melt and she opened the door all the way for him and motioned for him to step inside.

"Will!" She smiled at him even though she was facing all this inner turmoil, "How lovely to see you!"

She moved in to give him a kiss on the cheek and smiled as she brushed her lips across his right cheek. She loved kissing him. But of course kissing on his cheek was not nearing as satisfying as kissing on the mouth but she did not feel like pushing her luck with that right now.

Will kept smiling and moved toward one of the seats next to Alyss' writing table and sat down.

"Nice place you have here." He said, with a nervous smile.

Alyss nodded, "Yes, Pauline does had an eye for things."

They sat in silence for a moment until Will spoke again. "So I got your letter."

"Oh." I looked at him for any sign of reaction. He looked cheerful at the fact of her letter and Alyss breathed a sigh of relief.

Will moved to look her in the eye so it was gray facing brown. "I came to reply in person." He said quietly.

I stared at him anxiously. "So…Do you have a…reply?"

His eyes turned strong and he moved a little closer to me if that was possible because we were sitting in chairs. Will took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes again before he replied.

"Yes, I do…" He bit his lip slightly and smiled at her before he said with as much passion as he could manage in his young man's voice that was still working on deepening, "I love you too."

A huge smile broke out on the young Courier's face and she quickly got out of her chair to move in to his lap and embrace him. The young ranger's arm went around her and her face was buried in his chest. Will's head was in her long hair, savoring at the smell of it.

"I thought you…" Alyss whispered in to her friend's clothes.

"Shhh," Will smiled as she moved her face up to look at his.

His brown eyes were lightened again and he almost looked like he had when they were children and he had been the only ward to find the rock that Baron Arald had hidden and had the wards have a competition to find it first. Will's eyes were brightened with the idea that he had finally gotten his prize.

Alyss then moved her face up so it was one on one with his and looked at his handsome face for a few more seconds before pressing her soft lips in to his rough, yet smooth ones. Will smiled in to the kiss and happily kissed her back for once. _Amazing_, Alyss thought to herself as his tongue moved against hers, _He really does love me._

After both of the young adults were almost out of breath, they pulled apart and smiled at each other.

"What did you say that night in the tower?" Alyss questioned her Prince Charming.

His smile became more confident. "I said…I love you."

Alyss shook her head and thought it over. _All those dreams…Horace was right. That really did happen. Thank God. _She sighed happily and smiled in Will's arms.

"You like that?" Will whispered to her.

She smiled at him. "Yes."

Will's smile widened if that was at all possible and he looked at her with pretend concern. "I think I'm forgetting to ask you something important." He murmured to her.

"Oh, really?" Alyss moved a little bit away from him so she could examine his face, "And what is that?" She questioned.

Will bit his lip and smiled, "Do you…Will you…Would you like to…"

Alyss playfully punched him. "Out with it!"

"Fine," Will teased back, "Would you like to take the honor of being my girlfriend?"

"Yes!" Alyss almost yelled and pressed her lips firmly against his again.

She could not help it. Alyss had been dreaming of this moment since she was thirteen years old and her fantasy had finally come true.

"Thank you, Lady Alyss."

-x-

_Yup, Yup, that's it. I know it's kind of corny but tell me what you think! -Alison_


	3. Advice

Takes place at very ending of Siege Of Macindaw when Will is at Seacliff and Alyss and Horace are back at Redmont because Horace came to give training lessons to the apprentices there, as it said in book 6.

**-x-**

"What's up?" Horace asked her as they sat at the table for dinner. Horace had just got there earlier that day and she had offered to take him to dinner.

Alyss gave a shrug and poked at her lamb casserole for about the twentieth time that night. She had a lot on her mind, Horace thought as he stuffed more of the fabulous food in to his mouth. He really enjoyed the cooking back at his home town.

"Alyss…" Horace went on, "You can tell me you know. I might be able to help."

She looked up sharply at that comment. _I can tell him_, Alyss thought to herself, _he won't laugh. _She put down her fork and sat back in her chair.

"Fine, I'll tell you." Alyss started wearily. "I keep having this dream…"

Horace's eyebrows pulled together at that. _So it's not Will she wants to talk about_, he thought with some surprise. He had been expecting it was Will that she was thinking about all night. He had no idea that his new realization was completely wrong.

"What's the dream about?"

Alyss gave a small sigh and bit her lip. "Well…It's about Will. We're up in the tower and Keren is trying to get me to kill him, but then Will says…something amazing and I'm released of the holds." She almost winced at how stupid it sounded. But Horace was smiling and he looked at her knowingly before replying.

"Well…Maybe it's not just a dream. Maybe it's a memory."

"What? Are you…?"

Horace gave a small shrug, "What did Will say?"

"He said…that he…_loved_ me." Alyss whispered.

Alyss had felt so confused after hearing those words in the tower. She had hoped so much that they were really true, but she was not sure. Maybe it was just what she hoped to have happened. Alyss remembered when she first started having a crush on Will when she was around the age of 11. It was so weird that day when she first noticed Will was a boy. She smiled at the thought.

"Well. All I can say is…people like you spend too much time thinking about things and not enough time _doing_ them."

**-x-**

Alyss took a deep breath as she pulled out parchment and a quill. _I'm going to do this_, she told herself. I can do it. Alyss nodded and began writing.

_Dearest Will,_

_I trust this letter finds you well and happy. _

_Lady Pauline is keeping me busy but she gave me some time off to entertain Horace last week. He was visiting for one of his swordsmanship classes. He said to give you his best wishes. While he was here, I told him about a strange dream I keep having. We're back in the tower and I have Keren's sword in my hand and he's telling me to hurt you and I can't refuse him. But then you say the most amazing and wonderful thing and it completely breaks his hold over me. _

_Horace says it might not be a dream. He believes it's a memory. I wish with all my heart that he's right, and that you really did say what I think you said. He also told me that people like you and me spend too much time thinking over things and not enough time just coming out and saying them. I think he's right. Write to me please and tell me what you did say. In the meantime, I'll take Horace's advice and just say it myself. _

_I love you._

_Alyss_

Alyss smiled as she folded it up and put it in a mailing bag. _I finally did it. _

-x-

**Letter from:: Page 330, Ranger's Apprentice: Siege of Macindaw, Australian version.. Copyright to John Flanagan. **

-x-

_Thanks for reading. Now go out there and write some Will/Alyss stuff for me to read. I've never read any! _

_-alison_


	4. Goodbye

_-Takes place as Will, Halt, and Horace are leaving for Comnel in Bk. 8:_

Will smiled at Sir Rodney and turned to say goodbye to the next on in line. He should have known it was going to be her.

"Will," Alyss whispered as she moved closer to her boyfriend.

Will gave her a smiled and moved to embrace her. Alyss went into his welcoming arms willingly and put her head to rest on his shoulder while his arms went around her and she buried his face in her hair.

"I love you," Will whispered into her neck.

Alyss gave a small sigh and moved her face so it was looking into his. Then she slowly moved her lips onto his very willing ones in a kiss. They stood there sharing each others love for each other with their lips and tongues for many long moments.

Will could feel many people's eyes on them as they stood kissing but he didn't care. His eyes were closed so he did not know their expressions but in his head he could see them all.

Will smiled and slowly pulled away from his girlfriend's kiss and put his hands on her shoulders.

"I love you, Will.' Alyss murmured to him. "You go to Comnel and show this Tennyson what Rangers are made of."

Will smiled once more, "'Course I will."

Alyss moved her hands into his messy brown hair and took a deep breath of her man's scent once more.

"Come back safe for me, okay?"

"I will. Promise." Will whispered as he moved slowly out of her arms.

Then he turned to farewell Pauline and he could feel Alyss' grey eyes on him as her fare welled Horace the entire time. When he finished his goodbyes and moved to his former mentor's side where he could hear instructions for yet another adventure.

-x-

_Sorry it's so short. It's just that the farewell scene that John wrote was very brief so I did not want to make it bigger than what he wrote as:_

"_Alyss had kissed him and whispered a few private words in his ear."_

_That sounds kind of short._

_I promise a longer chapter next time!_

_Requests are welcomed, you know._

_53 Flute__: Thanks again for reviewing. The requests were great. I promise I'll write those in._

_**ALISON.**_


	5. Expecting

_I'm not going to tell you when this takes place because I'm not sure if this is going to happen or not. Say what you want, but on the RA Forum on John's site we decided that this would probably not happen unless it happened by accident, which was probably very common back then. But to me it takes place after book 8 and probably 9 also and they're back at Redmont. Some of you may be mad that they had sex before marriage, but I'm sorry. Just deal with it. No, I am not promoting that what they did was right, but it happens. It probably happened more often back then. They didn't have abortion or any standards back then._

_Thanks to __**53 Flute**__ for the suggestion. You're like my only reviewer so you better not leave m'dear. If you do I might not continue and you wouldn't want that, would you? Ahhh._

_**-Alison**_

-x-

"Alyss…" Will whispered as they walked hand in hand along the forest outside of Will and Halt's cabin.

Alyss winced. "Yes, Will?"

Will looked her in the eyes. "What are you not telling me?"

A small sigh came from Alyss' lips as she turned to face her curious boyfriend.

"Alright…" Alyss whispered as she arranged her long blond hair in her hands, "Will, I'm pregnant."

Will stopped walking.

"What?" Will whispered to her.

"I'm...Pregnant." Alyss whispered back to her boyfriend who was standing in shock a few feet from her. Their hands had fallen away from each other also.

Will could not take it in. "Pregnant…A baby…" He trailed off.

Alyss bit her lip and nodded to him. She wanted so bad for him to understand. She wanted this baby. She'd wanted to have a baby with him for so long. But it just happened a little earlier than she had planned. It had happened before marriage and when the vows were said. She was scared he might freak out. He was a ranger, after all. Rangers have a hard and crazy life. It would be very hard for him to be taking care of their baby while he was out on his missions that he and Halt frequently got after joining the Task Group with Horace.

Will was in shock. He did not know what to say. His mind kept saying the same thing over and over, _I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be a father!_ Even though he knew the timing was wrong and many people would probably be disappointed in them, he didn't really care. He was so happy. They were going to have a child together. But even though he was thinking this, he was an idiot once again and blurted something stupid out.

"How?" He croaked.

Alyss's whisper was hesitant. "The banquet." That was all she could get out.

He nodded. He knew that. Then he slowly sat down on the grass and crossed his legs. His hands went to the grass and he started up at his girlfriend's tall figure.

"What are we going to do?" He asked her with a slight about of desperation in his not-too-deep-but-still-very-sweet-sounding-young-mannish-voice.

Alyss slowly sat down next to him, making sure that her dress would not get dirty and put her arms around Will.

"We're going to have a baby." She replied.

His voice was back to normal now. "Right…A baby."

Alyss moved her arms around his waist and put her head against his chest. His brown messy hair was close to her face and she could smell his sweet scent. He smelled like sunshine and a bitter yet sweet smell that she could not identify but loved.

She remembered all those nights that she lay in his arms sighing in happiness and falling asleep there. She thought of that night. The night of the banquet was the reason she was pregnant with their baby right now. They had gotten a little out of control when they were kissing goodbye that night in her bedroom. All the details, left out.

"What are we going to…say?" Will whispered into her hair.

"We're going to tell them that we're pregnant. That's what we're going to do." Alyss whispered back.

Will nodded to himself and held his girlfriend in his arms tight.

"Alyss?"

"Yes, Will?" Alyss said back.

"We're going to be parents. I'm happy about that." Will croaked to her.

"I am too, Will, I am too."

-x-

_So what should I do now? Should I have the next one them telling everyone? Or should it be the marriage proposal? Or maybe just some silly mushy day in the woods together? Hmmm. I need feedback m'dears!_


	6. Boyfriend

_Takes place sometime between Siege of Macindaw and Kings of Comnel. There are some spoilers here, so watch out m'dears. This is written in Alyss's P.O.V. –Gosh, My brother's alarm keeps going off! Why won't he click the stupid button?! Ha-Ha. Sorry. On with the story! Oh…and this is your New Years present! Happy 2009! And yes, I know this chapter sucks. Now there is the part that I mention the Baron of Seacliff fief. Sorry, I used Argell as his name. It changed between books 5 and 6, you see. Sorry if Alyss is a little out of character._

_**Alison**_

-x-

I smiled at my mentor from across the room and slowly walked up to her.

"Yes, Pauline?"

Lady Pauline gave me a radiant smile and said, "I got you the mission."

Alyss stared at her for a second before breaking out into a huge smile. One of her fellow Couriers, Hanna, had been given a mission to bring messages to Baron Argell of Seacliff Fief. Alyss had been so jealous when she was presented with the mission and Lady Pauline knew her well enough to know that she had been jealous and it looked as if she had Hanna give over the mission to herself.

"That's wonderful!" Alyss moved to give her former mentor a small hug and accepted the scroll from her hands.

Lady Pauline gave Alyss a small knowing look and Alyss looked closer at her former mentor.

"What?" She whispered, moving her hands through her pale blond hair.

Pauline sat up a little straighter and looked at her former apprentice curiously.

"Is there a reason why you wanted this mission?" Pauline asked with knowing eyes.

_What? She knows, doesn't she?_ Alyss gave a small smile and twirled with her hair a little more. Then she replied to Pauline's question.

"There is actually," Alyss smiled.

Pauline made a gesture for her to continue. Alyss could not believe that she had not told Lady Pauline this before. _Too caught up in it yourself, _she told herself.

"Well…Will and I are…an item now." She finished lamely.

Pauline's face lit up in even a bigger smile and she jumped up in a grace that was almost not believable for a woman with her age and held Alyss in a embrace for a while then finally took her out of her arms and studied her face.

"I'm delighted for you." She told her former apprentice proudly.

Alyss nodded. "I am too,"

"Give me the details!" Pauline whispered happily and sat down in her seat once more. Alyss nodded and sat down next to her.

"He kissed me." Alyss said happily.

Pauline smiled, "He did?"

"Yes! Then he said that I take his breath away every time he see's me."

Pauline _ahhh_'d and smiled. "Looks like you finally found your boyfriend."

"Yeah," Alyss's heart jumped when she thought of Will as her boyfriend. "Yes, I guess I have.

-x-

_Sorry it's short. Next chapter will be the continuation of this, then I promise a mushy chapter in the woods when they get lost. Interested? Spoiler-Kiss in the next chapter. Ahhh. Now you want to read on huh? Well REVIEW! Then I'll update. And yes, I know I'm cruel. _


	7. Seacliff

_Wow, 53 flute wants a new chapter. So here you go m'dear. But I'm warning you, It's pure fluff this time._

**Seacliff**

Alyss smiled to herself as she walked out of the Baron's office at Seacliff castle. She had just gone over plans with the Baron and was officially done with her assignment. Now she had time to have fun. At least, for two nights she was free. Then she'd have to head home to Redmont.

If possible, her smiled widened even more when she saw who had gone up to the castle doors to wait for her. There Will stood, with that amazing smile on his face. She stopped just to look at him.

When she looked him over, she could not believe that he was really hers. His brown hair was sticking up in all directions, as it usually did. Will's slim body belonged to her. Not Princess Cassandra, Alyss smirked to herself. Or that pretty girl Delia. Her smile faded a tiny bit when she thought of Delia. Then Will noticed her, and the smile gave back at full speed.

"Alyss!" Will yelled happily as she jumped into his arms.

Alyss felt his arms go around her in return and sighed happily. Nothing could beat being held in her boyfriend's arms. She took a deep breath of his scent then looked up at him. Of course, he was smiling.

"I missed you." Alyss told him accusingly.

His expression softened. "I missed you too."

Alyss leaned down and captured his soft lips with her own. She could feel Will's smile on her lips and she moved her hands to his hair. Will sighed into her mouth and the feeling of it sent chills down her spine. After a little while, Will slid his tongue along Alyss's bottom lip and then inserted it into her mouth. Alyss breathed a quick breath. Will had never done that before. But after a few seconds of freaking out, Alyss moved her excited tongue into Will's welcoming mouth.

Alyss loved the feeling of Will's tongue battling against hers but after a few minutes, Will had run out of air.

They pulled apart and smiled at each other. Then Alyss moved out of his arms and took his hand as he walked them to his cabin.

-x-

"Alyss?" Will asked as he walked into the living room area of his cabin.

Alyss was seated on the floor next to the fireplace and looked up when Will entered.

"Time for bed," Will sighed as he sat down next to her.

"Already?" Alyss gave a fake whine and snuggled into his chest.

Will gave a small laugh and kissed her on her forehead. After he was done, he ran his fingers through her pale blond hair and smelled her hair. Alyss gave Will a funny look.

"What? You smell good." Will said lamely.

Alyss giggled and nuzzled into his neck. "You smell good too."

They laughed at how stupid the conversation sounded. Alyss put her arms around Will's neck and kissed his jaw. Will's laughter stopped and he tensed.

"Sorry," Alyss said quietly, moving away from him. But he stopped her and pulled her back.

"No, it's fine." Will muttered and moved closer to her.

Alyss smiled and kissed along Will's jaw once more. Will tensed up again, but she didn't stop this time. Alyss could feel Will's jaw and face were sort of rough, that being that he didn't have time to shave everyday. But she kissed him anyway. She continued planting short, yet tender kisses along the entire side of his jaw then slowly moved up to his lips.

His lips were softer and warm. The feeling brought her back to their first kiss and the first time she felt his soft lips against hers. She was so nervous to actually do it. She'd wanted to do it ever since she was thirteen. But she'd never had the guts to actually move in on his lips. She loved it the first time she kissed him. He was hesitant, that was for sure. Alyss knew he'd bee surprised. She thought of how when she pulled away he gave her a funny yet interested look and then looked down at the table and said nothing. It was typical of him, she knew now. But back then she took it as a sign that he didn't like her that way. And she didn't have the guts to kiss him again until that night when he came back from Skandia after the battle with the Eastern Riders. That time she actually thought he was kissing her back and she felt overjoyed that night. Then she brought her thoughts back to the present.

Reluctantly, she moved her lips away from the Rangers and looked into his eyes. They were so pretty, she thought. Just the perfect shade of brown.

"I love you," She told him with a small smile.

Will smiled back. "I love you too,"

-x-

_I warned you it'd be fluffy. Haha. I hoped you liked it…More coming soon, don't worry. _


	8. Moonlight

_Takes place after book seven, before book five. Will has just gotten back from Arrida. _

*****

Will was sitting on the grass beside his and Halt's cabin.

The young Ranger gave a small sigh as he looked out at those northern stars. It was great to be home. He had missed looking at the northern stars at night. He'd been stuck staring at the southern ones for too long.

He heard the door of the cabin open and soft footsteps moving toward him. He wondered who it was. He was pretty sure whoever it that was walking toward him was not a threat. Judging by the weight of the footsteps, it was not a man.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?"

Will looked around and his eyes met a tall blond girl. Her grey eyes were fixed on his as she gracefully sat down next to him. Her silver blond hair moved in front of her eyes and she looked at the ground. Will loved her eyes. They were a beautiful grey color that Will had first noticed at the age of fifteen. Now, years later, he enjoyed looking into them.

"Yes, they are." Will said, moving his eyes away from the young Courier and back to the sky.

The moonlight seemed to make her hair shine bright and Will was having trouble not looking at her. He finally gave in and he found Alyss looking at him with her dancing grey eyes alight.

"I'm glad you're back," Alyss whispered to the young man sitting on the ground next to her, "I missed you."

Will gave a small smile, "I am too,"

Alyss laughed silently and moved her delicate hands unhurriedly to Will's tousled brown hair. Will's eyes closed his eyes to her touch and leaned into her hand. The Courier looked at Will for a moment.

He looks so handsome; Alyss thought as she moved her hand away from Will's hair and slowly moved and touched her lips against his soft lips.

Will sighed in surprise but did not move himself from her but moved a little bit closer to her so their lips moved closer together. His hands moved to her hair and Alyss put one of her hand on his shoulders and one around his neck.

They pulled away slowly and looked at each other. His hand was still in her hair and her hand was still rested around his neck and shoulder.

"I really did miss you, Will." Alyss whispered into his neck.

"I missed you also, Alyss."

They stared at each other in the moonlight.

Alyss looked away and said, "I heard about what happened." She paused and looked into his brown eyes, "I'm proud of you, Will."

Will gave her a shaky smile and moved her blond hair in his hands idly. Then after a minute or two, he said, "I'm hearing that a lot."

"That's because we have a reason to be proud of you." Alyss said simply.

Will nodded and looked out into the darkness of Castle Redmont. He heard a dog barking in the distance. The moon seemed to light up the area on the grass that they were sitting and Will moved his gaze to the moon above. The moon was shining like a spotlight on them. Or maybe it was just him imagining it.

"You're going to be an amazing Ranger, Will." Alyss said as if reading his thoughts.

Will looked at her in some surprise. "You think so?"

Alyss shook her head happily and moved her arms closer around his neck so they were touching. "Of course you will be." Alyss smiled at the young man next to her.

Will nodded and leaned into her. "I just think…that sometimes…" He trailed off uncertainly.

He stared up at the shining moon once again.

"You'll be great." Alyss moved closer to him and kissed his lips softly.

She pulled away slowly and Will gave a small sigh.

"Well, I guess it's now or never," Will said quietly as they got up from their spot on the dampened grass and headed back to the cabin.

******


	9. Engaged

_This ma__y be AU. I don't know. I'm making this take place after Halt's Peril and I have not read that book yet. It's not even out yet. I do not know if Will makes if back form Pitca or not or even if they're both alive afterwards. But I made up the story that Will and the gang came back after defeating Tennyson and the Genovasans and they all lived happily ever after, as usual. _

_I have no idea how marriages really work in Araluen or even if they have wedding rings at all. All I know is that the man asks the wife to marry and they get engaged. But I'm making it as much like America today as I feel. :D _

Oh, and thanks for the reviews.

_**-Hallie**_

******

"Will, are you okay?"

Will snapped out of his trance and looked at his girlfriend in surprise. Alyss stood there in the meadow with her arms crossed, concern filling her beautiful face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Will muttered as he moved closer to the Courier and took her hand.

They kept walking.

Will's eyes moved towards the trees. This was the forest outside of the Ranger cabin that he and Halt lived in. Well, more like he lived in. Halt really lived in the castle with Pauline. The cabin was Will's. The trees surrounded them. He took a deep breath. He was so nervous. But he was going to try it. He'd decided on the return trip from Pitca that he'd wanted to marry Alyss. Now was his chance to ask. If only it was easier, he thought to himself. Then he realized he might be looking like he was going off into another trance so he looked back up into her grey eyes.

Her eyes were on him. Her face still had that concerned look to it. But even then, he couldn't help falling into those eyes. She's so pretty, he thought. He felt so lucky to have her by his side. Alyss's bright blonde hair moved with the wind and her face looked purely angelic. Now's the time, he told himself and moved away from her slightly.

He took one last breath and felt her eyes on him. "Alyss…I have something to…say."

She nodded, "Go ahead."

He bent down onto one knee. He pulled out a wooden box and held it ready in his hand. Their eyes met. Alyss's eyes widened as they moved to the box in his hands. Then they met the brown once again.

"Oh god," the Courier whispered in surprise.

Will gave a weak smile. "Alyss Mainwaring. I can't ever imagine my life without you. I never want to let you go. When we were away, going on the mission you were all I thought about at night. What I'm trying to say is," he sighed, "that I love you, Alyss. I want you to be with me forever. And I promise that I'll love you forever. I'll never leave you. So…Alyss," he took a deep, shuddering breath. He could do this. "Will you marry me?"

"I-I-oh, Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" Alyss cried breathlessly.

Will gave a sigh of relief and slowly got up so he could put the golden ring onto the forth finger of her smooth and strong hand.

After he was done, he cupped her face with his hands and slowly moved his ready lips to hers in a loving kiss. This was the first time they had kissed as an engaged couple. He felt Alyss smile into his lips and he reached out to put his arm around her delicate waist.

The wind seemed to stop and his world came together. He'd never dreamed of getting married until recently. He'd never thought he'd have the chance. Now his chance was reality. He was going to be married. They were going to be married.

Once again he found himself wondering how his life had turned out to be so great. Just ten years back he was thinking that he'd be sent to the fields to be a farmer. For once he was praising his annoying curiosity problems.

******

_A sad attempt, I know. But let me know what you think. :D_

_p.s.—The button. Don't forget the BUTTON. (wahaha. It's the REVIEW BUTTON.) =D __**-Hallie**_


	10. Jealousy

**Thank you, thank you for al the reviews. You're all very amazing at that. I know it's been ages since I updated and I'm sorry about that. I've been busy. I'll be answering your questions soon. I have it ready but I lost my document that had the answers on it. So I have to find those. **

_This is a little something I wrote a __**very**__ long time ago. It's very horrible. But I decided to post it just for the heck of it. It takes place after book nine. _

"Is there anything I can get you, Miss Cassandra?" Keira asked Evanlyn happily.

"No thank you, Keira.'

Keira nodded and strode out of the room with a smile. But Evanlyn wasn't smiling. She looked at the wedding invitation in hopeless frustration once more.

_**The Wedding of**_

_**Alyss Mainwaring and Will Treaty**_

_**Will take place at the Dining Hall in Castle Redmont**_

_**On the sixteenth day of August**_

_**Please join us celebration**_

She hated it. She'd always thought Will was single. Now he was going to go run off and marry some blond Courier. It broke her heart to look at the paper so she flipped it over and closed her eyes as the tears began to form.

Even though she'd never let it be known, she'd always harbored a deep love for the Ranger. She loved the way that his brown wyes always shined bright and that huge smile that never seemed to leave his handsome face. She remembered looking at those lips and wondering what it would feel like to move close and touch her own against his. She hated how she was a Princess and he was a Ranger. It was because of that that she could not have their relationship be formed. She hadn't even told Will how she felt about him. She had tried to have him change jobs. Deep inside she had known he's day no but she'd tried anyway for one last attempt at her and his relationship.

That stupid Courier, she thought to herself. She remembered her now. Alyss, the name rang a unwelcome bell inside of her head. She's been trying to win him over, she knew. She could still see the way the girl looked at Will in her mind. The tears came again.

"Your Highness?" Keira's voice came from the doorway. "Is everything alright?"

Evanlyn just shook her head and threw that paper at Keira. Her servant looked over the parchment slowly and then looked up at the Princess with saddened eyes.

"You have feelings for Ranger Treaty?" Keira asked softly.

Evanlyn just nodded and put her head in her hands. Then she took a deep breath and came to a decision. She'd make one last attempt.


	11. Goodbyes

_Takes place just after Erak's Ransom and Will has just become a Ranger. I wrote this for Language Arts project on Erak's Ransom._

******

"Will!"

Will groaned and slowly got up from his bed. It felt like just a minute ago he was getting in his bed after his long lasting graduation party. Now it was time for him to go off to his own fief that he was now the Ranger of. It still seemed new to him.

Halt was already done with making breakfast when Will stumbled into the flower invested little kitchen.

"Finally," Halt muttered as he passed Will his plate of food and sat down next to him. Will chewed his food slowly and gave his now former mentor a weak smile.

Breakfast was a slow one and Will felt a surge of sadness as he realized that this would be the last time he would be eating at this able after being yelled at to get up out of bed in the morning. Will would really miss the grim Ranger's presence. He though about how he used to feel nervous in Halt's company all those years ago. Will smiled. Now it was nothing like that. Halt had grown to be such a great substitute father over the years. Then he sighed. Now I've got to leave, he thought, I'll be on my own.

"Okay, Will," Halt said quietly as he got up from the table and put the plates away. "It' time to go."

Will nodded and they walked out toward where the horses were and Will's little pony was looking at them expectantly. Will took hold of Tug and lead him to the clearing in front of Halt's little cottage in the woods. There he could see all of his friends gathered to send him off. He smiled again. They were all there. Horace, Alyss, Gilan, Erak, Svengal, Baron Arald, Sir Rodney, Jenny, and some more of the people that he had grown up with at Castle Redmont. Halt stood in the background, seeming to fade into it as he did so.

Horace was right next to him first. He gave Will a proud smile and then threw his arms around him in a hug. Will smiled into it as he wrapped his arms around his best friend.

"Bye," Horace mumbled as he shook Will's hand in that way that young men do when they don't know what to say to each other. Will nodded and turned to Alyss.

Her ash blonde hair sparkled in the sunlight as she threw her arms around his shoulders. Will had to move his face to look up at her because she was so much taller than him. He could feel everyone's eyes on them as they held each other for a long time. He'd known Alyss longer than anyone else in the clearing and she meant much to him.

"Travel safe," She whispered after she gave him a goodbye kiss. He nodded and pulled away. "Write to me." She moved away from him with a sad smile.

"Okay," He smiled back at her and watched as she began to walk away.

Gilan was next in line. His handsome face seemed to radiate off joy and his eyes shown with pride. Again Gilan was much taller than Will and with his large body and sword hanging from his cloak, he looked much like a mixture of a knight and a Ranger. He shook his friend's hand with a huge smile.

"Bye, man," He smiled and slowly walked away. Gilan was always trying to make things way more dramatic. "Good luck!" Gilan yelled as he was already in the doorway of the cottage.

"Thanks, Gil," Will said.

He looked around and found that everyone seemed to be moving out of the clearing. They were all waving to him and yelling praises as they walked back toward the huge castle.

Only Erak and Halt remained in the clearing. Gilan was probably raiding Halt's kitchen for food to eat. Horace was visiting with Alyss on the verandah. Erak looked at Halt and they seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes. Then Erak shrugged and he ran up and caught Will in a huge bear hug that only a true Skandian could give.

"Will," He smiled. "Listen. I'm still sorry for what I did."

Will pushed the apology aside and just smiled at the pirate. He missed the gigantic Skandian. He was a kind guy at heart.

"Bye, Erak," He whispered. "Come around Seacliff sometime."

Seacliff, he had learned, was going to be his new fief from now on. It was a few days ride east from Redmont and was one of the only islands along the coast of Araluen. Halt had told him that the Ranger there had gotten old and retired so that left the spot open for Will to fill in.

Erak nodded and walked away awkwardly. Will could tell that he still felt bad for giving him away as a slave and being the cause of him almost dying from drugs and almost freezing to death even if it was all those years ago and they were great friends now.

Now it was Halt's turn. This is going to be interesting, Will thought as he walked slowly up to his former mentor. Halt sighed and embraced the young man whom he had started to love as a son.

"Travel safe, Will." He said as he let go of the young Ranger. "I'm…very proud of you." He said.

Will nodded and moved toward Tug. He said, "Thanks Halt."

Tug looked at him questionably and then gave him a look that clearing said_, finally. What took you so long?_ Will smiled as he got onto his little pony. Tug moved his head and stood still as he waited for Will's command. His ears went strait up and he stared ahead of him listening for anything.

Will gave Halt one more smile and gave Tug the Ranger command to begin moving. He looked up into the sunlight. He remembered back when he was fifteen years old and freaking out at the idea of being a Ranger's apprentice. Now it seemed like he was meant to do the job. Now he was read to start a whole new adventure in his life. He was going to be taking control of his own fief in his country. He smiled at the thought. Just a few months ago he was worried that he was not up for it and now just a few months later he realized that Halt's faith in him was true. To keep waiting and saying you're not ready will never work because he really is ready for this. Now he was going to be a real Ranger. He's going to be the graduated type of Ranger with the shining silver oak leaf to wear around the neck. Time to go, he thought as he crossed the final pasture, marking his leaving off the castle's grounds.


	12. Hopes

**12. Hopes**

_Obviously this takes place a few days before the beginning of Ruins of Gorlan. _

_And no, I do not own Ranger's Apprentice. _

******

"I want to apply for Battleschool."

Alyss looked at Will in some surprise. The boy had told her so many times in their youth that he was going to grow up to become a mighty knight when he got older but Alyss did not think he was that serious about his dream. This came as a pleasant surprise.

"Are you sure?" Alyss asked him softly.

She knew that the idea of becoming a knight was a huge fantasy to some wards in the castle. Just yesterday she had heard some eleven-year-olds telling each other of their futures that they seemed so sure of. They had acted so confident. Most of them did act confident. When young men wanted to become a knight they usually looked like one in their physical body. But Alyss knew that Will was a small boy. He had always been the smallest in the ward group. His body was naturally slight and agile. But she also knew that slight and agile was not the sort of things Sir Rodney looked for in his apprentices.

"Yes," Will nodded, his brown eyes looking somewhat sad and desperate.

"Don't you think you're a bit…?" Alyss tried to say it softly and have it hurt the least that she could.

"Small?" the boy finished for her in a quiet voice.

Alyss nodded slightly and looked at him with sympathy. His brown eyes had lost their light and they seemed to be more moist than usual. Perhaps being told this information from Alyss herself it seemed to become a reality that he was not going to be accepted.

"But you're strong, right?" she tried to encourage the heartbroken youth sitting beside her.

His brown eyes searched the deserted courtyard. The birds in the trees chirped silently and the sun had finally risen to its highest point of the day. It smelled faintly of flowers probably because of the flowerbed planted not too far from the bench they were sitting on. The young man's eyes seemed to become distant as he spoke again.

"You know why I've always wanted to be a knight?"

Alyss shook her head slowly before realizing he wasn't looking at her so she said, "Why?"

Will took a deep breath and turned to face her. His eyes appeared to be red rimmed like he was on the brink of tearing up. His breathing was fast and shallow as his eyes met hers. She knew Will had been wanting to tell this to her for a long time now. Now Alyss was ready to listen to the boy.

"I've always wanted to make my father proud." Will began, "You know, he was a knight before he died. I've always figured that if he was a knight then he'd expect me to be one also, right?"

His brown eyes searched hers. She nodded silently at him. He gave her a tight smile in return and moved his hand slowly to touch hers. Alyss curled her fingers around his and held his hand comfortingly. His hands felt rough and soft at the same time. Alyss enjoyed the warmth and looked at Will, waiting for him to continue if he still had more to say.

"I know I'm small but…" his voice faltered for a second then he regained himself. "I thought that if I just kept hoping then maybe…Maybe Rodney might accept me…Stupid, I know."

Alyss shook her head. "No, it's not stupid. It's good that you're keeping hope. You should keep hoping. If you give up then you'll probably have an even least chance of getting into Battleschool."

Will sighed, "I hope so,"

Then his brown eyes had narrowed and he removed his hand from hers. The young man looked around the courtyard quickly and he seemed to listening for any sounds coming from anyone. Alyss had not heard anything so she was wondering what Will was looking for but then she found it. _It _was Horace. She flushed angrily. The bully must have been listening in on the entire conversation. Sometimes, she thought, that boy can be just plain annoying. Not only had be invaded both of their privacies by eavesdropping, but he had heard what Will had said to her. Will had seemed to have made it clear that it was a matter only between the two of them. That was the reason why Will had singled her out at the breakfast table this morning and asked her to go on a walk with him. She had a feeling that Horace was not going to let this go for a long time.

"Horace!" Will muttered angrily when the burly young man's face came into view. He had been hiding in the bushes.

Horace smirked, "Battleschool, Will?" His voice was mocking.

"Be quiet," Alyss said softly to the annoying person in front of her. She walked quickly to Will and took his hand. Will was looking at Horace in moderate panic. He knew that Horace would be taunting him about this for days now. Then his brown eyes locked with hers and he smiled a small smile.

Together Will and Alyss walked back to the castle, hand in hand, without a backward glance at the smirking bully.


	13. Lift Me Up

a/n: Hey everyone. I know you all want almost daily updates but I just got to say that that is not going to happen. I have a very busy life with school work on top of it all I also have other stories I'm trying to work on at the moment also. I want to thank you all for the reviews and support. You guys are amazing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or the song Lift Me Up by Kate Voegele. They belong to their owners.

Announcement: I would like to warn you beforehand that this is a Will and Evanlyn shipped oneshot. If you ship Will and Alyss, don't worry I'll be writing more of that. I just had this idea and it fit better with a Will and Evanlyn shipped oneshot.

Spoilers! This includes spoilers for books 3, 4, and 7.

I feel I can almost say this is a canon work of mine. I feel this is somewhat accurate in what had happened in the books. Feel free to contradict me if you want, but I'll say this is a canon piece.

*******

_This road is anything but simple  
Twisted like a riddle I've seen high and I've seen low  
So loud, the voices of all my doubts  
Telling me to give up, to pack up and leave town_

Will sighed as he looked out onto the grey waters. It smelled of spoiled fish and many different types of Skandian ales. The Ranger grimaced as he smelled the horrid smell and continued to clean the dishes from dinner. He dipped the plate back into the water once again and looked up at the grey clouds above him. It's going to rain soon, he told himself.

Once again he found himself looking out into the harsh waters afterward to examine the waves. He was interested in how the ocean worked. He had never had any extra training about the oceans because of the location of Redmont fief. But now Will had an idea.

_Even so, I had to believe  
Impossible means nothing to me, yeah_

He was still considering whether or not to tell Evanlyn of his plan. Will wondered whether or not he should keep quiet about it until the time came. He bit his lip and picked up the last plate to slowly cleanse inside the waters. After a minute he finished his work and rose silently from his spot on the beach. He stretched his body and collected his pots, plates, and pans. His brown eyes lingered at the water edge for an extra moment before walking slowly back towards the kitchen.

_So can you lift me up,  
Turn the ashes into flames  
'Cause I have overcome  
More than words will ever say  
And I've been given hope  
That there's a light on up the hall  
And that a day will come  
When the fight is won  
And I think that day has just begun_

Will shivered and coughed as he rowed harder and harder on their small boat. The waves made a loud crashing sound as they attacked the boat he and Evanlyn were seated inside of. Water crashed against face once again and he spit out the water he had inhaled out of the corner of the old boat. Evanlyn was yelling encouragement from beside him. He looked over at her and watched her as she noticed something else inside the boat that made her eyes widen in horror and her lips part. Her dirty blonde hair was covering up her eyes now and Will strained to look at her.

"Will, there's water in the boat," Evanlyn roared in horror.

The young man looked at her in confusion and continued roving faster and faster. He shook his head and denied what she had told him with a sure smile. But her response was not what he had expected. She had not smiled in relief but instead her green eyes seemed to become, if possible, more panicked. She told him once again of the water. Finally, Will looked down and discovered the water with his own eyes. Inside his head he was cursing himself over and over for not thinking about that sort of thing before when he was planning his plan.

"No," he whispered with his voice inaudible over the loud pounding of the waves around them.

He felt a sinking in his stomach as he realized his plan did not work.

_Somewhere, everybody starts there  
I'm counting on a small prayer,  
Lost in a nightmare  
But I'm here, and suddenly it's so clear  
The struggle through the long years  
It taught me to outrun my fears_

Evanlyn sighed beside him. Will opened his eyes slowly and the only things that came into his vision were darkness. It was a silent night this night on the island. He heard nothing as he turned around inside the lean-to and switched positions, trying to give himself more warmth. He felt the need to cough and used his hands to stifle the sound. His cough sounded harsh in the dead silence of the island.

"Will?" he heard a voice come from a few feet away from him.

"Yeah?" Will replied softly to Evanlyn as he turned his position once again so he could face her.

Evanlyn's thick mass of hair was covering her bright green eyes and she looked like she was shivering from what he could see from across the lean-to. Her eyes closed for a second then she scooted herself closer to him. The lean-to squeaked a ear splitting sound and Evanlyn winced.

"Sorry," she said softly.

Will shook his head and offered his arms to her. Her green eyes examined his face then she slowly moved toward him once again, thankful that the lean-to had not made any more noises like before. He closed his arms around her and she leaned into his embrace. Together they felt warmer. Both of their clothes were soaking cold and they were coming down with colds. Will and Evanlyn held onto each other tightly, Evanlyn's head resting on the crook of Will's neck.

"The plan was good, you know." Evanlyn muttered into the darkness.

"What?"

Will felt Evanlyn give a small laugh and he could almost feel her smiling. He smiled sadly and stopped himself from nodding, seeing as it was cause her pain in her position. The Ranger moved his right arm to stroke her dirty hair between his fingers and leaned closer to her.

_Everything worth having, oh  
Comes with trials worth withstanding_

"Get to work, kid!" yelled one of the yard men.

His beard had crumbs from morning's breakfast on it. Will's eyes looked over the man with hardly any interest. This job as a slave was becoming worse and worse. It was only Will's second day on the job and he was whishing he was back on the ship with the roaring of Skandia's waves. He found himself remembering laying on the deck next to Evanlyn as Svengal informed them that they would be getting to Skandia in a few hours. He remembered Evanlyn's slight frown and how she moved to hold his hand. He remembered squeezing it back, returning the pressure.

The man's rough hand came in contact with Will's face with a loud cracking sound. Will coughed and moaned softly. The boy gave the older man a look of deep hatred before walking away to collect his daily work.

_So can you lift me up,  
Turn the ashes into flames  
'Cause I have overcome  
More than words will ever say  
And I've been given hope  
That there's a light on up the hall  
And that a day will come  
When the fight is won  
And I think that day has just begun_

He looked at her from across the fire. She had Horace were embracing and talking excitedly. Will frowned slightly, once again feeling that unruly jealousy in his heart and looked away. He wondered why he even cared if Evanlyn was impressed with Horace's work at all. Of course she would be impressed. He had done amazing things, after all. But Will was left wondering why he felt this way and why he wished that it was himself that she was exceptionally impressed with.

"Will?" Halt said to him softly, trying to wake him out of his daydreaming.

Will shook his head, "Sorry,"

_Oh, lift me up  
Oh, lift me up  
Oh, lift me up  
Lift me up  
Lift me up  
Oh, Lift me up_

Once again he felt that burning jealousy in his stomach. He hated feeling this way. Why had Evanlyn chosen to watch Horace and some random Skandians practice fighting? There was nothing fascinating about seeing people attack each other in that way. Perhaps Evanlyn found it interesting but he surely did not. The thing that he found interesting was archery.

"Why does she..." he muttered and fired another arrow at the tree that was marked.

_Down and out is overrated  
And I need to be elevated  
Looking up is not enough  
No, I would rather rise above_

The sea looked comforting from his spot where he stood standing along the edge. The wind felt good against his face and he smelled the salt water easily. He missed this part of sailing. With the soft wind in his face he felt free and pure. He smiled as warm arms wrapped around his waist and dirty blond hair came into his view.

"Hey there," he mumbled to her and leaned closer to her embrace.

Evanlyn smiled, "Hello,"  
She leaned her cheek up against his and he felt her soft hair touch his face. In addition to the wind he enjoyed feeling both at the same time. He smiled at her and laughed softly.

"Arrida," Will said plainly.

Evanlyn looked at him in question, "Arrida?"

He shook his head and laughed softly, "We're going to Arrida now," he told her.

Her green eyes danced with humor and she used her left hand to bop him on the head. They both started laughing together. Will felt a Halt's keen eyes on him and turned his head to meet the eyes of his master. Halt just shook his head at them and lost more of his lunch across the edge of the ship. Will winced and leaned back against Evanlyn. They had stopped laughing and were now enjoying each other's presence.

"I missed you, you know," Evanlyn told him quietly.

_So can you lift me up,  
Turn the ashes into flames  
'Cause I have overcome  
More than words will ever say  
And I've been given hope  
That there's a light on up the hall  
And that a day will come  
When the fight is won  
And I think that day has just begun_

Her green eyes were rimmed with tears as she moved to embrace him. She wrapped her arms around his and leaned her face into his chest.

"Good luck, Will," she said softly, "I know you'll find him."

Will held her comfortingly and nodded, his own eyes brimmed with tears. He did not like leaving them all, but he knew he had to go and search for his lost pony.

_Oh, oh, oh, just begun  
Lift me up, yeah, oh, oh, oh, yeah, now  
Oh, oh, lift me up  
Lift me up  
Lift me up_

Her lips brushed his cheek and her arms moved around him. It was time for him to depart to his new fief. He did not want to part with his friends but he knew it must happen. Evanlyn's blonde hair touched his face and he smiled, remembering all of the other times he had felt her hair or her arms around his.

"I'll miss you," he whispered to the Princess.

Evanlyn smiled, "You too,"

He looked away and watched as Horace and Gilan talked silently on the steps of his cabin. As he watched it looked as if Horace had said something that amused Gilan because Gilan dropped into a fit of laughter. Will smiled at them. His brown eyes looked at the two of his friends then moved back toward Evanlyn.

"You're a Ranger now," she told him with a smile.

He nodded and held onto her harder. He body felt good against his. The sun was up in the sky again. It was early morning in Redmont fief of Araluen. It was time to become a Ranger. His new silver oakleaf felt good against his skin and he wore it with a newly found pride in his heart. He had finally become a Ranger. It had been the thing he had been yearning to become for five years. Now it was his. He smiled. It had finally begun.


	14. Finally Home

**Spoiler Warning.**

This one-shot is full of spoilers. Please do not read unless you have read up to Halt's Peril. I do not want to be the one to spoil the ending for you. Halt's Peril is an amazing book and having you read this when you have not yet read books eight and nine would be terrible. So keep this writing in mind and come back to it once you've finished with those. If you read this and it's spoiled for you, don't complain to me. It's not my fault.

This short story contains one of the last scenes of Halt's Peril and is written in the point of view of one of the characters. The scene was not written in first person and I decided to try out writing it in another's point of view to show how they're feeling, what they see, and how they take things differently than what was written by John Flanagan.

Once again, I do not own Ranger's Apprentice. I do not even own the story really. Most of what has happened in this story is already written by the author but written and changed into a different point of view.

-x-

_Finally Home_

A group of farmers were the first to spread the news.

Two Rangers were riding towards the castle. According to the farmers they were both riding shaggy horses, were wearing dark cloaks, and had their heads down as if they were almost exhausted. They both carried longbows that were easy to recognize and were heading straight to castle.

I now stood next to Pauline in the crowd that had gathered by the entrance to Castle Redmont. The crowd of people talked excitedly, wondering what had happened on the mission that the two Rangers were sent on. The people were from young knights to farmers that were gathered to welcome their Rangers home.

I felt a sudden excitement in my stomach. Will was not very far from me. He was fine and well and his mission was done. My nights of constant worry were finally over. I remembered sitting at the table in the main hall of Castle Redmont next to Pauline while we both worried over our men. Pauline's worry only amplified mine. She knew Halt well and loved him very much so it was only logical that she would be wondering if he was okay.

But during those nights I used to think about Will and remember that I've known him since before we could walk. He's been my friend since we were children, I would think. He's capable and more than strong enough to come home alive. After all, he'd done so many times.

An excited shout rang through the square and I knew that Will and Halt were approaching the castle and not that far away anymore.

I smiled, looking at Pauline. Pauline's eyes were squinted as she searched for her husband. Then after a few seconds she turned her gaze to me and she slowly smiled.

We didn't have time to speak anything to each other because somebody had caught sight of the two Rangers. The crowd began to cheer louder than ever and Pauline and I moved so we could see over the large throng of people. But we were both very tall, so it wasn't very hard.

I could finally see them. There were two people seated on their horses riding towards the castle. They wore their long and dark Ranger cloaks and a longbow on each of them could be seen from where I stood. I noticed they were both sitting up and looking around, as if they had just woken up. I could not blame them. Riding on a horse from country to country was not a comfortable thing to do.

The Baron was in the front of the crowd. He was smiling, very easily seen that he was proud of the two men as they approached. The Rangers got closer and closer and soon I found that I could make out the features of the two of them.

Will was on our left side. He had his head bowed as he rode forward and his face was easy to recognize. I stared at him, feeling extremely relieved and happy to see Will back from his mission. His dark brown eyes were on Baron Arald and his dark hair was covering parts of his face. I could not take my eyes away from him.

When Baron Arald moved back to where Pauline and I stood, he was grinning broadly. Then he bowed slightly as he made a gesture for the two of us to move forward and be the first to welcome them home.

I smiled and moved slowly over to my boyfriend, making sure I took my time and didn't run. My eyes were on Will and he was wearily getting off of Tug. He stood next to his horse, blinking his eyes as he looked around. Then Will's eyes were slightly to the right with a small smile. I turned my head to where Will was looking.

Halt had Pauline in his arms and was kissing her softly and sweetly. I smiled, feeling happy for my mentor as she was held by her husband. Halt's arms were around Pauline and he held her close to him. Pauline had her arms around him also, keeping him close. But I could not feel slightly surprised at how Halt was expressing his feelings so publicly. I'd only seen Halt and Pauline kiss a small amount of times because they did not like expressing their affection in front of people. But then I shrugged inwardly as I turned my attention back to the younger of the two Rangers.

I placed my hand on his arm and smiled at him, happy to see him home. He raised his eyes to meet mine and I could see the happiness in them as he looked at me as if I were the most precious thing in the world.

"Looks like a good idea," I said. I turned my head to where Pauline and Halt were still kissing. I wanted nothing more than to feel his soft lips against mine at this moment. I'd been too long without him.

He smiled and nodded slightly as he moved forward toward me. Then his arms went around me and I leaned into his embrace. It felt amazingly good. But then he placed his lips over mine and my head swam slightly. I put my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me as we kissed. Will gave a small sigh into my mouth and ran his tongue across my lower lip. I relented, giving him free access to my mouth.

I dimly heard the crowd making sounds of awe and surprise. I should feel awkward, being the fact that I was kissing my boyfriend so openly. But they decided to stay and watch.

Finally, our lips parted and we took our hands off of each other. Will took hold of my hands and I looked deeply into his beautiful dark brown eyes. I had missed him terribly over the time he had been on his mission. I missed his presence, his sweet words of encouragement, the feeling of his arms around me and his lips against mine.

"My friends! An occasion such as this deserves a speech to mark it…"

The crowd was disappointed by the idea and made an audible sound of their feelings. I raised my eyebrow, wondering where the Baron was going with his words. Then the baron smiled and continued his words. "But perhaps not," he said and the crowd was visibly relieved.

"Instead," Arald said, "I'll announce a welcome home feast in the hall tonight."

The crowd began to cheer. They were easily excited, I thought to myself. Then something caught my eye. It was a bit of black and white that was moving in Will's jacket. I looked closer at it then smiled softly, knowing it was a puppy. Somehow Will had managed to get another dog.

"Who's this?" I asked, looking at the squirming puppy.

"This is Ebony," Will took his hands out of mine and took the puppy out of his jacket. The puppy was surprisingly small. She had one blue eye and one brown and she looked up at me with curiosity. I patted her gently, feeling her soft hair under my fingers.

"Careful! She'll nip you," Will warned me quickly but I rolled my eyes, slightly amused yet touched by Will's concern. I smiled slightly and looked at the puppy once more.

"Of course she won't," I said. "She's a lady."

I patted her and felt her hair. She gave no resistance, as I had expected. You just had to treat her a certain way. We were both ladies, I thought. Will looked at Ebony then raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"You just have to know how to treat a lady," I smiled at him as I said the words. He nodded, taking in the point and set the puppy down on the cobbles. She looked around and was suddenly aware of all of the long legs and the noise. Her tail went between her legs and she moved with surprising speed to in between Tug's front hooves. Then she lifted her tail up and started yipping. Tug looked at us with a unusual expression. I laughed quietly.

And as I turned my gaze back to my boyfriend I smiled at him. He was raising his eyes from his horse but then his brown eyes met mine. I looked at him in awe and in pride. He was finally back from his mission to Hibernia to get rid of a cult. I did not know how the mission went or the full story but I knew one thing. I knew that Will was alive and well.

I took his hand in mine and squeezed it gently, taking pleasure in the feeling on him. It had been months since I last saw him, Halt, and Horace. But it looked to me that all three of them were fine. If something had happened to Horace then Halt and Will would not be in such good moods. I looked away from him for a moment, my eyes searching for Pauline and Halt. They were standing close to each other. Halt had her hand in his still and they were looking into each other's eyes. I looked away, not wanting to intrude on their moment.

Then Will put his arms around me once more and I leaned into him. His grip was strong and protective. I had been waiting for this moment for so many months. Now it felt amazing to feel his arms around me once more.

The castle was beautiful in the sunlight and as I felt Will's lips on my cheek, I smiled.

He was finally home.

-x-


	15. Waves

Name: Waves

Genre: Angst

Setting: Icebound Land

Words: 240

The waves seemed to breathe. They moved almost silently across the sand, slowly reaching out toward him but falling backwards when they did not have the strength. They left small tracks in the hardened sand, whispers of their recent travel. The spray misted Will's eyes and tickled his nose. He made a face as he shifted in the sand, slowly rolling one pan into the water.

He scrubbed furiously with his bare hands, his mind distracted with multiple thoughts. Will's dark brown eyes were beginning to turn dull as he came to terms with his predicament. _There is no way of getting out of here_, he grumbled to himself as he flicked a piece of meat off of the beaten pan. His hands were grimy and encrusted with uneaten food. His keen ears could easily pick out the booming laughter of the Skandians inside the building.

Their failed escape attempt had not been a help to his already fading hopes of fleeing to freedom. He had slowly been coming to terms with live as a slave. The once bright memories of Castle Redmont were diminishing into a gray haze. He sighed as rose suddenly, flicking water and sending sand onto the large pile of dishes that were to be cleaned. Will collected the pans in his hands, hugging them close to his chest as he ambled to the kitchen to drop off his load.

He was done for the night.


End file.
